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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · drill · mark · fan · ball · key · wound · dip

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wind — moving air
  5. drill — army training
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. ball — a dance
  8. key — in music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mark — a grade
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. key — the most important part
  22. ball — a great time
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wind — to turn a key

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com